Solutions for nonlinear characterization of high-power amplifiersDesign How-To 12/6/2010 4 commentsHigh-power RF amplifiers are used in telecommunications, biomedical, and military systems. With output power levels ranging up to 1 kW, these amplifiers are typically designed to operate near or into compression in order to provide the maximum output power possible. Designing high-power amplifiers requires a detailed analysis of its nonlinear behavior.

Two different ways of looking at noise figureDesign How-To 12/6/2010 3 commentsReducing receiver-contributed noise may be the least expensive route to take but may also be the most challenging for the designer who must develop a low-noise amplifier (LNA) at the front end of the receiver. For those designers, an accurate and repeatable method for measuring noise figure will be a necessity.